Page 53 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

and there is still the site of its once important castle overlooking the river and estuary to at
one time, the third most important port in the Country.

We had been engaged to deliver a bride and her father to Wyberton Church for her
wedding and after the ceremony transport the bride and her new husband to their
reception at the village hall some two miles away.

The route had been surveyed thoroughly and we had selected to park our lorry for
unloading close to the village hall, located on the A16 between Boston and Kirton.

“Hebe”, our “Dales” mare and full name “Ashwood Claire Louisa”, was to power the
carriage as the bride had selected our ultra elegant “Bow fronted Brougham”.

CARRIAGES
I should explain that at this time we were using two carriages for weddings.
Jupiter, our extrovert part bred dales, (skewbald coloured) brown and white, always
worked with our beautiful “Victoria” carriage.

This had wide, swept back mudguards, elegant varnish bodywork and beautiful springing.
It followed the typical design for ladies’ made popular by Queen Victoria herself. This
carriage was basically open with a hood for inclement weather.

The second carriage was a “Bow fronted Brougham”. Following on a pattern of elegant
town carriage designed by Lord Brougham, this had room for two people and was
somewhat smaller with beautifully paint work in dark red and black.
Forward opening doors on both sides allowed entry to a green leather fitted interior
illuminated by most elegant curved glass windows at the front.
Normal pattern carriage drop door windows gave a good view of whoever was riding in
splendour.

“Hebe “worked with the Brougham as she was smaller in stature than Jupiter and being a
black horse herself, suited the “equipage”.

The journey to Wyberton church was uneventful and the bride had been safely delivered
when disaster struck.

DISASTER
We were all relaxing, myself, daughter Helen (the groom) and Hebe, after the first part
when butterflies always fill me with trepidation.
My thoughts before all these events are on the off chance that something untoward should
prevent us actually getting to the venue on time!